User:SomeGuyWhoRandomlyEdits/En-men-dur-ana

En-men-dur-ana
The Weld-Blundell Prism is among the oldest, most well-preserved, and better-known versions of the Sumerian King List, and includes the inscription for En-men-gal-ana.
High King of Sumer
Reign	c. 2900 BCE
Predecessor	En-sipad-zid-ana
Successor	Ubara-Tutu
King of Sippar
Reign	c. 2900 BCE
Predecessor	Unknown
Successor	Unknown
Born	Sippar
Era name and dates Early Dynastic I: c. 2900 – c. 2700 BCE (MC)
Sumerian	𒂗𒉺𒇻𒍣𒀭𒈾
Dynasty	Dynasty of Sippar
Religion	Sumerian religion

En-men-dur-ana (also Emmeduranki) of Sippar was an ancient Sumerian king, whose name appears in the Sumerian King List as the seventh pre-dynastic king of Sumer. He was said to have reigned for 21,000 years. The Uruk List of Kings and Sages pairs seven antediluvian kings each with his own apkallu. The fourth apkallu (Enmegalama) is paired up with En-men-gal-ana. The Uruk List of Kings and Sages pairs seven antediluvian kings each with his own apkallu. The seventh apkallu (Utuabzu) is paired up with En-men-gal-ana.

Etymology

His name means "chief of the powers of Dur-an-ki", while "Dur-an-ki" in turn means "the meeting-place of heaven and earth" (literally "bond of above and below").

Historicity

After the kingship descended from heaven, the kingship was in Eridu. In Eridu, Alulim became king; he ruled for 28,800 years. Alaljar ruled for 36,000 years. 2 kings; they ruled for 64,800 years. Then Eridu fell and the kingship was taken to Bad-tibira. In Bad-tibira, En-men-lu-ana ruled for 43,200 years. En-men-gal-ana ruled for 28,800 years. Dumuzid, the shepherd, ruled for 36,000 years. 3 kings; they ruled for 108,000 years. Then Bad-tibira fell and the kingship was taken to Larak. In Larak, En-sipad-zid-ana ruled for 28,800 years. 1 king; he ruled for 28,800 years. Then Larak fell and the kingship was taken to Sippar. In Sippar, En-men-dur-ana became king; he ruled for 21,000 years. 1 king; he ruled for 21,000 years. Then Sippar fell and the kingship was taken to Shuruppak.

— SKL

Geopolitical context

En-men-dur-ana's city Sippar was associated with the worship of the sun-god Utu, later called Shamash in the Semitic language. Sumerian and Babylonian literature attributed the founding of Sippar to Utu.

Mythologyand legendary exploits

A myth written in a Semitic language tells of Emmeduranki, subsequently being taken to heaven by the gods Shamash and Adad, and taught the secrets of heaven and of earth. In particular, Emmeduranki was taught arts of divination, such as how to inspect oil on water and how to discern messages in the liver of animals and several other divine secrets.

En-men-dur-ana, held significance among the Pre-Sumerians as he was the ancestor from whom all priests of the Sun God had to be able to trace descent.

Enmeduranki is sometimes considered a Meospotamian model for the biblical patriarch Enoch. Enmeduranki appears as the seventh name on the Sumerian King List, whereas Enoch is the seventh figure in the list of patriarchs in Genesis. Both of them were also said to have been taken up into heaven. Sippar, the city of which Enmeduranki is king of, is associated with sun worship, while the 365 years that Enoch is stated to have lived may be linked to the number of days in the solar calendar.

See also

• Sumer
• Mesopotamia
• Ancient Near East
• Sumerian King List

References

Sources

• Hallo, William Wolfgang; Simpson, William Kelly (1971). The Ancient Near East: A History. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Inc. ISBN 9780155027756. Retrieved 2021-04-28.
• Harrison, Roland Kenneth (March 1993). "Reinvestigating the Antediluvian Sumerian King List" (PDF). Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society. 36 (1). Retrieved 2021-04-30.
• Jacobsen, Thorkild Peter Rudolph (1939-04-14) [1939]. Wilson, John Albert; Allen, Thomas George (eds.). THE SUMERIAN KING LIST (PDF). ASSYRIOLOGICAL STUDIES. Vol. 11 (4th ed.). University of Chicago, Illinois: Oriental Institute (published 1939–1973). p. 65. ISBN 0226622738. LCCN 39-19328. OCLC 397243. Archived from the original on 2015-04-20. Retrieved 2021-07-31. When the kingship was lowered from heaven: (In) Eridu(g): A-lulim(ak), 28,800 years {{cite book}}: |website= ignored (help)CS1 maint: date and year (link)
• Kuhrt, Amélie (1995). The Ancient Near East, C. 3000-330 BC. Routledge history of the ancient world. Vol. 1. Taylor & Francis (published 1995–2005). ISBN 9780415167635.
• Langdon, Stephen Herbert (June 1923). "THE SUMERO-ACCADIAN SYSTEM OF LEGENDARY AND HISTORICAL CHRONOLOGY". In Milford, Humphrey Sumner (ed.). Historical Inscriptions, Containing Principally the Chronological Prism, W-B. 444. Oxford Editions of Cuneiform Texts (OECT). Vol. II (revised ed.). Oxford University Press. pp. 2–8. Retrieved 2021-07-31. At Eridu Alulim was king. He ruled 28800 years.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
• Langdon, Stephen Herbert (2007-04-16) [c. 1900–1600 BC]. Joseph Weld Blundell, Herbert (ed.). "W-B 444". Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI) (in Sumerian). Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (published 2007–2014). Retrieved 2021-07-31. eridu{ki} a2-lu-lim lugal mu 8(szar2) i3-ak{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
• Leick, Gwendolyn (2002-08-29). Mesopotamia: The Invention of the City. UK: Penguin Books. ISBN 9780141927114.
• Proust, Christine (2009-06-22). "Numerical and Metrological Graphemes: From Cuneiform to Transliteration". Cuneiform Digital Library Journal. ISSN 1540-8779. Retrieved 2021-05-25.
• Sanders, Seth L. (2017). From Adapa to Enoch Scribal Culture and Religious Vision in Judea and Babylon. Tübingen, Germany: Mohr Siebeck. ISBN 9783161544569.
• Shea, William H. (1977). Adam in Ancient Mesopotamian Traditions. Archived from the original on 2011-09-04.
• Wang, Haicheng (2014-05-12). Writing and the Ancient State: Early China in Comparative Perspective. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9781107785878.

External links

• Ashmolean (2017). "Sumerian king list". Ashmolean Museum. Retrieved 2021-08-02.
• Black, Jeremy Allen; Baines, John Robert; Dahl, Jacob L.; Van De Mieroop, Marc (2006-12-19) [c. 1900–1600 BC]. Cunningham, Graham; Ebeling, Jarle; Flückiger-Hawker, Esther; Robson, Eleanor; Taylor, Jon; Zólyomi, Gábor (eds.). "The Sumerian king list". Faculty of Oriental Studies. Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature (ETCSL) (in Sumerian). Translated by Jacobsen, Thorkild Peter Rudolph; Glassner, Jean-Jacques; Römer, Willem H. Ph.; Zólyomi, Gábor (revised ed.). United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: University of Oxford (published 1997–2006). Retrieved 2021-07-31. After the kingship descended from heaven, the kingship was in Eridug. In Eridug, Alulim became king; he ruled for 28800 years. Alaljar ruled for 36000 years. 2 kings; they ruled for 64800 years. Then Eridug fell and the kingship was taken to Bad-tibira. In Bad-tibira, En-men-lu-ana ruled for 43200 years. En-men-gal-ana ruled for 28800 years. Dumuzid, the shepherd, ruled for 36000 years. 3 kings; they ruled for 108000 years. Then Bad-tibira fell (?) and the kingship was taken to Larag. In Larag, En-sipad-zid-ana ruled for 28800 years. 1 king; he ruled for 28800 years. Then Larag fell (?) and the kingship was taken to Zimbir. In Zimbir, En-men-dur-ana became king; he ruled for 21000 years. 1 king; he ruled for 21000 years. Then Zimbir fell (?) and the kingship was taken to Curuppag.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
• Lendering, Jona (2020-09-24) [2006]. "Sumerian King List". Livius.org. Netherlands: Livius Onderwijs (published 2006–2020). Retrieved 2021-07-31. Then Larak fell and the kingship was taken to Sippar. In Sippar, Enmen-dur-ana became king; he ruled for 21,000 years. One king; he ruled for 21,000 years.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
• Sjöberg, Åke Waldemar; Leichty, Erle; Tinney, Steve (2021) [2003]. "Pennsylvania Sumerian Dictionary Project". Pennsylvania Sumerian Dictionary Project (PSD) (published 2003–2021). Retrieved 2021-07-31.

Category:Antediluvian Sumerian kings Category:Sumerian kings